MSU Religious Studies

Our own Dr. Pippa Koch on KSMU Public Radio! Give it a listen: How did early American Protestants respond to disease and suffering? What role did religion play in their response to sickness? In her new book, The Course of God’s Providence: Religion, Health, and the Body in Early America, author Dr. Pippa Koch explores the doctrine of providence a belief in a divine plan for the world and its manifestations in 18th century America. Koch, an assistant professor of religious studies at Missouri State University, shares why she wrote the book and what it covers.

Celebrating our graduate, Daniel Reed! "After graduating I will be moving to Omaha to work for CityLight Church with their college ministry. I will also be getting my masters of theological studies from Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary."

Check out our summer classes! There's still time to sign up!

Today we celebrate our graduate Matthew Wynn! "I wanted to pursue a degree that I found meaningful, not just a means to provide security, but a way to strengthen and grow me into the man I am now. The religious studies department provided me just that. When I decided to change my major to religious studies from business statistics the fall of my junior year I found a major that provoked passion, welcomed skepticism, and incited creativity. Prior to that decision I felt stuck,... confused, and helpless not knowing what I was going to do with my life. After taking a prerequisite class my sophomore year, I realized that there was a major for people just like me: looking and searching for meaning in a time of confusion and uncertainty. If it weren’t for the faculty and staff I would have never even considered religious studies, so thank you! My plans are to pursue doctorate school after my masters in hopes of becoming a professor myself and teaching religious studies and philosophy. Thank you, faculty and staff, for providing nothing short of a glimpse of hope in a time when I needed it most! " See more

Our own Dr. Vadim Putzu with great info about wine, Kabbalah, and the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim! http://jewishdrinking.com/holidays-and-festi//vital-purim/

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll Southern-born, Chicago-raised and New York-made Despite not being a household name today, Pentecostal figure Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Her flamboyance, skill, and showmanship on the newly electrified guitar played a vital role in the conception of Rock & Roll as a genre of music. Discover more! https://www.pbs.org//sh/list/rock-and-roll-rosetta-tharpe/

Be a part of these events!

Be sure to make time for these excellent workshops!

It’s the first day of black history month. We will celebrate the many wonderful black folks who have been an essential part of religious history in America by posting about key figures throughout the month. Stay tuned!

Be a part of this important conversation.

Hey Bears (and everyone else!) Be sure you are being a good Citizen Bear by VOTING! Need help or info? Paws to the Polls is ready and more than happy to help. Paws to the Polls is a student-driven non-partisan campus initiative designed to increase voter participation and voter literacy at Missouri State. Want to get involved?Need help voting? Contact [email protected].

Social Services, Justice & Non-Profit Organizations Career Week at the Career Center!

From our own Dr.Koch

Don’t miss out!!!

Wednesday Sept. 30, 10:10-11:00AM: Join virtually for "Giving the Humanities A Powerful Voice," Panel moderated by Dr. Vadim Putzu and featuring Rel Studies alum and Lutheran minister Samantha Nichols as part of the MSU Public Affairs Conference. See the link below to attend, and encourage your friends to join you! Samantha Nichols (married to Tyler Darnell) is pastoring two Lutheran Churches in the Leigh, Nebraska area. Samantha was a REL major, she was an MSU Citizen Schol...ar and she founded the inter-faith student organization Bears Better Together (formerly Linked) Panel description: Aggressive promotion of education focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), and the rising cost of education, has increased prejudice against the humanities. They may not be seen as useful in society and the workplace. This trend has forced specialists in these fields to raise their voices in justification of their professional existence. How can devotees of the humanities persuasively demonstrate the value of their work beyond abstract theory? What is the usefulness of the humanities for the wellness of our society? How can historical, anthropological, philosophical and religious studies lend their contributions to the real-world issues of today? In a higher-education institution with a public affairs mission, what competencies and career-building skill sets do the humanities provide for students and their employers? Panel Moderator: Vadim Putzu, MSU College of Humanities and Public Affairs Panel Producer: Christie Cathey, MSU College of Health and Human Services https://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu//giving-the-humani

Former REL department head Dr. Stanley Burgess and Ruth Burgess stopped by the office today to drop off a signed copy of their new book, Two Millennia of Memorable Christian Women Showing Strength without Power. I love seeing our former professors and students still active in research, learning, teaching, and publishing congratulations to Stan and Ruth! And also to Dr. Amy Artman, one of the contributors to the book.

Thinking about a Major or Minor? Choose Religious Studies, where wine is a part of our course offerings! See Excerpts below from Dr. Vadim Putzu’s recent course, and make the switch to Religious Studies! Introduction to Wine in Kabbalah, for JewishDrinking.com, Spring 2020 (http://jewishdrinking.com//introduction-to-wine-in-kabbal/).

Fresh air, sunshine, and Religious Studies classes! What a great combo!

Our copy of MSU Religious Studies alumnus (M.A. 2004), Brian Doak’s new book, Ancient Israel’s Neighbors, arrived today! Brian is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at George Fox University and this is his fifth book (how does he find the time?!). Congratulations!

Interested in the intersection of medicine and religion? Explore our certificate in Medical Humanities! The field of medical humanities, which usually is defined broadly to include both humanities and social sciences fields, employs different approaches to help students develop competencies for acknowledging, understanding, and acting on the stories and experiences of their patients as human beings. The medical humanities offers not only suitable training for future doctors, ...but it presents a specialized, interdisciplinary training to help people in a variety of health-related careers to work more skillfully and sensitively with other humans on matters associated with wellness, illness, and even life and death. Students with an interest in learning more about the human condition, the human side of health care practice, and the social determinants of health may be interested in this certificate, which can be added like any minor through the Academic Advisement See more

A nice shout-out to our Dept. Chair Steve! Thanks Dan!

Religious Studies faculty spent Friday morning at a social-distanced retreat, getting ready for a new adventure this fall semester. Fall 2020, here we come!